[BC] What radio could be

[Barry Mishkind]

What I said.

 From Radio Business Report:

Two out of three columnists in America seems to have weighed in on 
the Don Imus gaffe, and Washington Post pundit Eugene Robinson is one 
of them. But this isn't a story about Don Imus. It's about something 
Robinson mentioned in discussing why the case was so important. 
"There's an intimacy about radio," wrote Robinson. "The medium 
creates the illusion of privacy - it's just the jock and his or her 
entourage speaking to you, the listener, alone in your car where 
nobody else can hear."

RBR observation: Robinson went on to say that inappropriate use of 
this intimacy lets one "...have all your prejudices confirmed on your 
way to work. It's almost like putting on a suit of psychological 
armor." But we were struck by the potential for using this intimacy 
in a positive way. Every real radio pro knows all about it, too. With 
the opportunity to build such a strong bond with listeners, and to 
help clients get their message out there, it is amazing how often 
stations instead program on the cheap, throwing a canned, 
personality-free glorified jukebox out over the airwaves. Radio must 
evolve with changing times, but at the same time it should exploit 
its natural powers. If we owned a station right now, we'd be looking 
at doing things the old way. Strong professional and local 
personalities who know how to be a friend to that person stuck in a 
car, with constant talent grooming on the marginal shifts. Anyway, 
the next time someone sees Mr. Robinson, he deserves thanks for 
reminding radio of its greatest advantage.